Wednesday, 2 September 2015

Chiara Vigo

Spinning gold Chiara Vigo is the last producer of Sea silk, byssus, the finest fabric spun from the filament of Pinna Nobilis, the largest Mediterranean bivalve. Trawling destroyed the habitat of the Pinna Nobilis, which led to it's virtual extinction.and caused the demise of this ancient craft. Taught by her grandmother Chiara collects the solidified saliva of the pen clam in the spring, leaving the clam unharmed.

"Weaving the sea silk is what my family has been doing for centuries. The most important thread, for my family, was the thread of their history, their tradition."

Chiara does not do this as a commercial enterprise it is too painstaking and the raw material too rare. This craft is a spiritual one, a creation for luck and fortune as Chiara say's;

"It would be like commercialising the flight of an eagle."

"You have to be respectful to the place you live in. You are just passing by, these places are here to stay. And the sea has its own soul and you have to ask for permission to get a piece of it." Chiara Vigo